PSU ticket price cut? Time’s right

August 5, 2012

Penn State Athletic Director Dave Joyner is in the process of beginning a re-evaluation of the STEP (Seat Transfer & Equity Plan) that was implemented before the 2011 season.

Joyner has the right idea.

Many felt the STEP program was launched too quickly - all at once - and without sufficient warning.

Penn State fans found their loyalties challenged between the realities brought about by handling a sharp price increase and maintaining their longtime support. Even the most diehard of fans complained about it - whether they kept or surrendered their tickets.

In many cases, because of economics, fans were separated from people with whom they enjoyed the tradition and camaraderie of sitting with on fall Saturdays as the cost of retaining seats went from $100 to as much as $600 per ticket, depending on the location within Beaver Stadium.

And that didn't even include the cost of the ticket. It was simply the right to purchase that ticket.

The STEP program contributed to many empty seats last season, particularly for the less-glamorous opponents.

The Lions' average attendance of 101,427 in 2011 was the lowest since Beaver Stadium was expanded for the seventh and final time in 2001 and more than 7,000 fewer fans per game than the 2007 season, which set a record attendance by averaging 108,917 per game.

According to Associate Athletic Director Greg Myford, Penn State has sold 85,000 season tickets for this season. While that may seem to be a high number, it also leaves 22,000-plus available seats for the Lions' seven home games.

In the wake of the scandal that has fractured the Penn State community - already disgusted over the case in which Jerry Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of sexual abuse involving 10 children, the university's response that included the firing of Joe Paterno, the Freeh report and now the NCAA sanctions - this is an appropriate time for a pricing reduction.

Because of the NCAA's four-year bowl ban, the Nittany Lions are ineligible for a berth in the Big Ten championship game until 2016. That changes fans' expectations, and combined with the scholarship reduction to 15 per year beginning in 2013 (down from 25), the quality of the team most assuredly will suffer.

That was evidenced by the team's best player, running back Silas Redd, transferring to Southern Cal - one of several who have left the program in the past days.

There are plenty of options that Joyner seems willing to explore. Here are a couple more:

One might be to accept the fact that the football program may not be as financially fruitful as it's been in past years - and that's OK because the program made $50 million-plus in profit over the past few years. Another is to further tap into the student body, which quickly bought up its ticket allotment (21,000) again this summer.

Another, as Joyner pointed out, would be to create more flexibility in choices, rather than a menu of $600, $400 or $100 per seat.

"Maybe it's better to have more sections," Joyner said. "Some other schools have more opportunities, different contribution areas financially to do that, so that's something I think we need to look at."

That's the best piece of news Penn State fans have received in quite a while.